Safer Internet Day 2017: Top Tips For Staying Safe Online

Published 7th February, 2017

February 7th marks the return of Safer Internet Day, something which takes place annually, where businesses and organisations join forces in order to promote the safe use of the internet. Whilst primarily used to encourage safer internet use by young people, Safer Internet Day can be a great time to think about your own internet use and how you can keep protected online.

With that, let’s take a look at some of the biggest tips you should be aware of when it comes to keeping protected and positive online.

Use A Secure Password

While it might seem obvious, it’s important to remember to use secure passwords that can’t be easily guessed or worked out. Using a simple password might seem like the easy option when it comes to remembering your password, this could mean it’s also easy for others to remember your password too, increasing the chances of having your accounts hacked. By using a password which includes a mix of letters, numbers and special characters you can make it more difficult for others to know your password and lower your chances of hacking or password theft.

Keep Your Browser Safe

A HTTPS connection adds another level of security when logging into or browsing a website and it’s not uncommon to see many websites using a HTTPS connection when available. With a HTTPS connection it becomes more difficult for those looking to steal data and gather information online to do so, adding a new level of security to a website. Always be sure to look for a small padlock symbol in your browser URL bar or even be sure to check for it in the URL in order to check that you’re protected.

Increase Spam Filtering

Many email scams and phishing attempts start out looking innocent enough, from asking small questions, to inviting you to view unfamiliar websites to collect data, there’s a number of ways people are using emails to scam others and it’s important you don’t get caught out. This is why it’s a good idea to increase your junk filtering, making sure that any illegitimate emails are caught early before they reach your inbox, helping you identify the good from the bad.

Login Notifications

Login notifications are used on a number of sites including Facebook, Google and Twitter, allowing users to receive a notification through email, text or through an app message, whenever their account is accessed from a new or unfamiliar location. This extra layer of security offers extra protection on the go, allowing people to know or be made aware if it seems someone has accessed their accounts without permission and can often be found under the security settings of social media accounts.

Online threats are out there, however with an awareness of how you can protect yourself online you can minimise the risk to yourself and your business, without it costing a penny. Keep protected this Safer Internet Day!